Aug. 1—ROCHESTER — The YMCA Early Childhood Learning Center has announced that it will close by the end of the month.
The organization provided a brief statement on the decision Thursday, Aug. 1, explaining that it will close effective Aug. 31.
“After careful consideration, we have determined that we need to close the Rochester Early Childhood Learning Center,” the organization said in a statement. “Limited enrollment growth, staffing shortages across the child care industry and rising operational costs have affected our ability to operate in a viable manner.”
The YMCA was not immediately able to provide the number of children or families the decision would affect, nor how many employees.
However, when the YMCA opened its childhood center in 2019, it had a capacity for 166 children.
The child care center operated on Valleyhigh Drive in northwest Rochester, and provided care for children from six weeks old to 5 years old.
The organization said it would help its employees with transition planning if they need it. It also said it would help families transition to new providers.
“We know that this is a significant transition and we are grateful for everyone’s patience and understanding,” the statement continued. “We will work with the families we serve to support their transition to another child care provider that meets their needs.”
The YMCA first opened its child care center in Rochester in the wake of a great need for additional providers. At the time, the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation had released a study, showing that there was a child care shortage of more than 1,000 spots in Olmsted County alone.
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